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BLACK MESA RESEARCH FACILITY MEATBALL HAT PRO
That’s a pretty good ex- ample of ways that we’re continuing to look at spots that have been important to pro surfing.” Aside from the schedule, there will be other key changes to the CS in 2023 that include: Less surfers so events can take advantage of swell win- dows: Men’s field will drop from 96 to 80, women’s field will drop from 64 to 48. It makes sense to qualify our surfers some- where like that where we have this energy and synergy with the local community.” “We’re always looking at new competition locations,” added Miley-Dyer. “When you thin k about things that make events great, in Brazil we have this amazing history, especially recently with the energy of the crowds that c ome to watch our surfers. So with a nearly identical schedule as 2022, it begs the question, is this the schedule we’ll see every year? What factors are considered when selecting where to hold these CS events? “It’s important that we have a mixture of our regions, to make a tour that stands alone, and to have a really competitive product,” s aid Miley-Dyer.
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However, this is a claim that Miley-Dyer was quick to refute as “just not true.” “I can’t speak to what has been reported on (some other) website, but we’ve had great partners and continue to do so for 2023,” said Miley-Dyer. The fact that Vans recently pulled out of their nearly decade-long title sponsorship of the US Open only added fuel to the rumors. There were reports that the Haleiwa event was rumored to be axed (or downgraded) due to difficulty in securing sponsorships. Including all the tentatively scheduled events, the South American region has 13 QS events, North America has nine, Australia/Oceania has seven, Europe has six, Asia four, and Africa just two. When you contrast that to the other re- gions you can see the disparity that led to the aforementioned surfer feedback.
BLACK MESA RESEARCH FACILITY MEATBALL HAT SERIES
” To put things in perspective, looking at the current WSL Qualifying Series schedule prior to the addition of Haleiwa, the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region currently has three events (and only two for women). “It’s important to us that we also ensure (the surfers from the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region) have a strong regional pathway and some really good oppor- tunities to compete on the championship tour. “The main piece of feedback I’ve received from the surfers is around making the whole qualification pathway really strong – including at the regional level,” WSL Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer told The Inertia.
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The event has been c hanged to a regional QS to create more opportunity for the Hawaii/Tahiti Nui region surfers. However, Haleiwa will not get a chance to repeat that suc- cess in 2023. John John Florence came back from injury and mopped up t he competition in pumping right handers, scoring a perfect 10 in the final and suddenly making the Challenger Series can’t-miss TV. It’s a curious decision by the WSL after the huge success of Haleiwa capping off the CS in 2022. The six-event 2023 CS schedule is essentially a replica of 2022, except for one glaring omission: Haleiwa.
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